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Are good degrees from bad universities worthless?

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Original post by TimmonaPortella
You don't speak for all employers. Some do.

It would help if you told us what field you're working in, and at what level you're recruiting.


I agree but people on this site seems to think ALL employers have the top ten league table pinned up my bin all other cvs.

I was just saying how some don't.

Nuclear, graduate role.

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By the way, Middlesex seems quite fine as a university in general. It is ranked among the QS Global 800 list (within the category 650-700), in which there are around 60-65 universities from the UK. Considering there are around 18.000 universities worldwide and some 135 in the UK, this is not "bad", to refer to the topic question.

Use Linkedin and you will gain a better understanding of graduates from which universlty are working where, at what position, etc. And do stay away from prejudices of all types.
Original post by aoxa
I think it depend on the degree - a first in medicine from plymouth is still going to get you a job - especially as you'll have training on top ETC, and doctors/nurses are probably always going to able to find employment, due to the high demand in that sector.

A degree from a university like Plymouth in something like media/film studies isn't going to get you anywhere though realistically. It would be hard enough for someone with a media/film degree from a top 20 uni to find work, let alone a lesser ranked uni.



:smile: So true i agree, try explaining that one, i did only to get picked on for pointing out the obvious.
Reply 83
It mainly depends on the degree and the job you are applying for. Many jobs don't need a degree and people are working in careers they don't have a degree in.
Think about this: there are graduates from Cambridge with good degrees that are currently unemployed, whilst there are people from ex-polys that are in decent entry level jobs with reasonable pay.


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(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Motorbiker
I agree but people on this site seems to think ALL employers have the top ten league table pinned up my bin all other cvs.

I was just saying how some don't.

Nuclear, graduate role.

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Yep. A lot of employers don't care what university you went to. Of course it helps if you went to Oxford or Cambridge, but you average manager won't care. It's all about the skills you can bring to the role. Also the best university might not be well respected in the field you want to enter. It might be an ex-polytechnic that might be the most respected if teaching is your chosen career.

It isn't what you know it's who you know sadly and how well and fast you can build connections.


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(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by ChangeOurWorld
No I don't, but I'm going to LSE next year. Regardless of the fact I don't really do relationships, if you'd ask me that question a few years ago I would have said oh DEFINITLY I would reject him. However, I've changed a lot and I've opened my eyes to the world and looked beyond my very narrow view I held before. So now I would say, not completely. Very recently actually I was attracted to somebody that hadnt even gone to university and had no intention to. They came from a very different and less affluent life that I do and it was actually rather refreshing. I was still attracted to them despite their lack of university education.

However, I think that at the end of the day what university somebody goes to is going to affect my attraction to them to a degree. Purely because I am attracted to intelligence as an entity and universities to an extent is a way to gauge intelligence. I'm not saying that everybody at UCL is more intelligent than Bournemtouth universiry students, I'm just saying as entry requirements are generally higher at UCL, acceptance to said institution may mean that a student has higher grades and thus perceived increase in intelligence ( although I am the first to admit that grades are only one way to gauge intelligence) making them more attractive in my eyes.


Going to LSE isn't impressive. Some of the courses "only" require AAB and the place churns out thousands of graduates each year, just like every other university.

There are people in the physics department at my "rubbish" university who are doing world leading research.
It really depends on how bad you're talking. Plymouth is not that bad.
Original post by Beri
Oxbridge really isn't all there is to the world. Personally I consider UCL, Edinburgh, LSE, Imperial etc to be on the same level regardless of the common perception that they are still somewhat inferior.


LSE maybe, not the other ones.

I mean, I didn't go to UCL, Edinburgh, LSE, or Imperial; but I doubt I'd be getting the attention I had the moment I uttered Oxford if I said UCL, Edinburgh, or Imperial. Not sure about LSE, possibly is seen highly as well.
Original post by hellooworld
Going to LSE isn't impressive. Some of the courses "only" require AAB and the place churns out thousands of graduates each year, just like every other university.

There are people in the physics department at my "rubbish" university who are doing world leading research.


I think they only have 1,200 undergraduate places everywhere, so probably only 1,000-1,100 graduates every year.

Not thousands.
Reply 90
Original post by ChangeOurWorld
No I don't, but I'm going to LSE next year. Regardless of the fact I don't really do relationships, if you'd ask me that question a few years ago I would have said oh DEFINITLY I would reject him. However, I've changed a lot and I've opened my eyes to the world and looked beyond my very narrow view I held before. So now I would say, not completely. Very recently actually I was attracted to somebody that hadnt even gone to university and had no intention to. They came from a very different and less affluent life that I do and it was actually rather refreshing. I was still attracted to them despite their lack of university education.

However, I think that at the end of the day what university somebody goes to is going to affect my attraction to them to a degree. Purely because I am attracted to intelligence as an entity and universities to an extent is a way to gauge intelligence. I'm not saying that everybody at UCL is more intelligent than Bournemtouth universiry students, I'm just saying as entry requirements are generally higher at UCL, acceptance to said institution may mean that a student has higher grades and thus perceived increase in intelligence ( although I am the first to admit that grades are only one way to gauge intelligence) making them more attractive in my eyes.



so was the boy u liked black or asian?
Well firstly you can't get first or seconds etc in medicine, you simply either pass or fail. And I think it comes down to the degree you're doing. For example for vocational degrees like medicine and nursing it does not matter whatsoever what university you go to. Particularly for medicine, in fact when you're applying for foundation posts, it's a blind process, the hospitals you apply for do not know which university you attended. For other degrees like law though which traditionally have some 'snobbery' the higher up ranking uni you attend the matter. In general for other subjects like history, English etc going to a Russell group university would be looked at more favourably by employers. But I don't think you should apply to a university simply based on how high ranking and elite it appears, you're going to spend 3 (or more) years there, apply somewhere you honestly love.


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Original post by ChangeOurWorld
No I don't, but I'm going to LSE next year. Regardless of the fact I don't really do relationships, if you'd ask me that question a few years ago I would have said oh DEFINITLY I would reject him. However, I've changed a lot and I've opened my eyes to the world and looked beyond my very narrow view I held before. So now I would say, not completely. Very recently actually I was attracted to somebody that hadnt even gone to university and had no intention to. They came from a very different and less affluent life that I do and it was actually rather refreshing. I was still attracted to them despite their lack of university education.

However, I think that at the end of the day what university somebody goes to is going to affect my attraction to them to a degree. Purely because I am attracted to intelligence as an entity and universities to an extent is a way to gauge intelligence. I'm not saying that everybody at UCL is more intelligent than Bournemtouth universiry students, I'm just saying as entry requirements are generally higher at UCL, acceptance to said institution may mean that a student has higher grades and thus perceived increase in intelligence ( although I am the first to admit that grades are only one way to gauge intelligence) making them more attractive in my eyes.



:smile: A law degree is a law degree if the passion and drive is there you will succeed, i wonder if St Andrews would suit certain people !
Original post by datpiff
Yep. A lot of employers don't care what university you went to. Of course it helps if you went to Oxford or Cambridge, but you average manager won't care. It's all about the skills you can bring to the role. Also the best university might not be well respected in the field you want to enter. It might be an ex-polytechnic that might be the most respected if teaching is your chosen career.

It isn't what you know it's who you know sadly and how well and fast you can build connections.


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:s-smilie: Well said !!
Original post by jamesb22
Hi, just signed up to this forum after browsing it for some time now.


My question is: is having a well-regarded degree from a not so well-regarded university worthless? For example, a First Class Law degree from Middlesex or a First in Medicine from Plymouth. The impression I get from this forum is that such people have degrees 'not worth the paper they are written on'.


Would you all agree with this?


A degree, no matter where it's from, shows an employer that you have the ability to take on a large task and succeed in completing it. Not to mention the ability to learn.
Degrees in general without work experience are pretty worthless to be honest. Russell Group or not. Employers want to see that you have experience in the sector you want to enter.


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Original post by datpiff
Degrees in general without work experience are pretty worthless to be honest. Russell Group or not. Employers want to see that you have experience in the sector you want to enter.


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I would agree with this. So many of my friends just cannot get jobs because they don't have experience. And they can't even get experience because they don't already have experience. It's madness!
Original post by jamesb22
I feel for people like that. Working harder than everyone else on the course to get a first and still getting nowhere. What about if your friend were to do a masters at a top 5 institution, do you think employers would give him the recognition that he deserves then? or will London Met be like a permanent scar on his CV


I think you're looking at it the wrong way there. Recruitment is a very expensive process. If the guy has been offered interviews it's because the potential employers think he may be good enough. He doesn't need to get a master's degree - he needs to work on his interview technique.
Original post by Brit_Miller
I think you're looking at it the wrong way there. Recruitment is a very expensive process. If the guy has been offered interviews it's because the potential employers think he may be good enough. He doesn't need to get a master's degree - he needs to work on his interview technique.


Also fitting in within the culture if the organisation is a big factor. The interviewer may think you're more than capable of doing the job, but they just like the other applicant more because the think he/she would fit in more.

Also interviewers tend to pick people they 'like', which is a harsh reality. Especially in retail, most office jobs, recruitment, etc. What they go for depends on the interviewer's age, gender, ethnicity, class, experience and how pervy they are (it's not uncommon for interviewers to just employ someone because they'd like a girl with sexy legs and a cute face walking around the office).

Public sector jobs are a different animal. The interviews are very formal and processes are strict.

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Original post by datpiff
Also fitting in within the culture if the organisation is a big factor. The interviewer may think you're more than capable of doing the job, but they just like the other applicant more because the think he/she would fit in more.

Also interviewers tend to pick people they 'like', which is a harsh reality. Especially in retail, most office jobs, recruitment, etc. What they go for depends on the interviewer's age, gender, ethnicity, class, experience and how pervy they are (it's not uncommon for interviewers to just employ someone because they'd like a girl with sexy legs and a cute face walking around the office).

Public sector jobs are a different animal. The interviews are very formal and processes are strict.

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I agree. Personally I think the most important thing is to come across as likeable (and obviously answer the standard questions the right way). If they think you're going to be a nice person to work with you stand a much better chance.

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